


Spare the Rod

by allietheepic7



Series: Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child [1]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Brainwashing, Death Threats, Drowning, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Kidnapping, Kinda, M/M, Mental Coercion, Minor Character Death, Murder, Murder Husbands, Psychological Torture, Threats Against Family Members, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-24
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-10-10 05:53:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10430577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allietheepic7/pseuds/allietheepic7
Summary: The day Kuroba Kaito became lost was the day an angel visited him.{A/N: Please mind the tags!}





	1. Chapter 1

            Kaito’s head was yanked out of the water, sputtering and hacking, trying to clear his lungs. His tormentor—Irish—threw him to the ground. Another kick sent him sprawling. Kaito shivered against the floor, the cold latched deep to his bones. It was almost strong enough to outmatch his hunger.

            He was expecting another blow. He didn’t expect Irish to tip the tub over and spill the water all over his tiny cell. Kaito flinched as it soaked his blood-spattered suit. Irish sneered down at him and Kaito glared back, jerking his head out of the water, already several inches despite the drain in the floor.

            Irish grabbed the tub and, after stepping through the doorway set a few inches above the ground, slammed the heavy metal door shut. Kaito pushed himself into a sitting position, muscles screaming in pain, and huddled into a corner. His body wracked with shutters and his breath could be seen. He curled in on himself, watching as the water disappeared down the drain. Most of him was soaked at this point and if he looked close, his fingers and toes were turning blue.

            He hadn’t… he hadn’t even asked him any questions.

            How long had he been here? It felt like a long time. A week? A month? No! He shook his head. No, it couldn’t have been a month, someone would have found him by now! Nakamori-keibu, Aoko, hell, he’d even take Hakuba or Akako at this point! But no… he was all alone here…

            Oh God, he was so cold!

            What did they even want from him!? He was just a thief! When they captured him, he’d expected to be killed, but this!? Why…

            The door swung open again. Kaito expected Irish again—had hours passed so quickly?—but it was a boy his age. The boy jumped into the cell, bag hitting his side and paying no mind to the freezing water soaking his shoes. He could only watch as the boy reached into the bag and brought out… a silicone packet. Huh. He’d been expecting a gun. The boy squeezed it and tried to put it near his face. Kaito flinched away.

            The boy drew back. “I need to put these against your arteries,” he explained. “You have hypothermia. It will help. It’s warm, see?” He placed the packet in his hand and Kaito nearly whimpered at the immediate rush of heat. He wanted to hold it longer, but the boy took it away only to put it up against his neck. Squishing the packet against his head and neck, Kaito tried to smile in thanks, but his lip split again and blood ran down his chin.

            After activating four more packs and placing them on the other side of his neck, his armpits, and between his legs, the boy used a towel to dab gently at his split lip. Lost in his new world of warmth, Kaito was still mind enough to flinch. The boy grimaced. “Sorry!” He draped the towel over Kaito’s head and started patting his hair dry, taking extra care not to hurt him again. Kaito wanted to tell him it was okay—no matter what Irish did, he’d never been struck in the head hard enough for a concussion. They wanted him for _something_. The split lip was left over from an earlier escape attempt. He’d stopped doing those now. He knew better than to try and escape.

            Hair as dry as it could get, the towel was wrapped around his shoulders and neck, keeping the packets in place. Kaito was deliriously warm and cold at once, the water still soaking his pants making him shiver. The boy frowned. “I’m sorry. The drain is only partially open—I can’t change that, even if I knew where to look. At least you’re shivering.”

            “’s okay,” Kaito could barely speak. He did nothing but scream with Irish. How long had it been since he’d spoken?

            “No, it’s not,” the boy whispered. Kaito studied him; why did he sound so heartbroken? The boy wasn’t the one trapped here. “This isn’t _right_.” He grabbed Kaito’s hands in his and started rubbing them, trying to get the feeling back in them. “You don’t deserve to be here.”

            “Who’re…” Kaito tried to ask, but he wheezed out a cough. “Who’re…”

            “My name is Shinichi.”

            Shinichi had incredibly blue eyes, Kaito noticed as his coughing fit subsided. Almost like a sapphire. He’d stolen jewels that paled in comparison to Shinichi’s eyes. Shinichi pressed close to Kaito and hugged him. Shinichi muttered in his ear, “I’m sharing my body heat with you.” Kaito had never heard something more reassuring. So he hugged back as best he could, reveling in both the warmth and body contact.

            Kaito didn’t know how long it was, but next thing he knew, the last of the water was gone and Shinichi had removed the towel and was patting him down. It didn’t do much—the towel ended up soaked quickly and Shinichi threw it back into the bag in disgust. But Kaito was fine with that. The packets and Shinichi’s body heat were amazing already. At least, they were until Shinichi said, “I’ll have to leave soon.”

            “What?”

            “Irish will be back soon. I fear what he’d do to you if he discovered us together.”

            “Me!? What about you!?” Kaito struggled to stand, but Shinichi gently pushed him back down.

            “I managed to disrupt the camera in this room, but he’ll be here soon. I’ll… I’ll come back as soon as he leaves though,” Shinichi bit his lip. “Kaito… I need to take the heat packs.”

            He nodded. Of course. Irish would know for sure that someone had been here and Kaito… he wouldn’t risk Shinichi like that. Not him. Not the only good thing he’d found since he’d been taken. “Go,” he croaked. “Don’t get caught.”

            Shinichi smiled and Kaito decided, then and there, that he wanted to see that smile every day of his life. “I won’t. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

            Then he was alone again. Kaito leaned his head against the wall and tried to sleep some before Irish arrived. His dreams were haunted by sapphire eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

            His codename is Absinthe.

            Shinichi told him the second time they met. Irish had decided to electrocute him that time; apparently, he’d been irritated that Kaito hadn’t developed pneumonia from spending the entire night wet and cold. Once Irish had left again, Shinichi had been there with pain medicine and endless apologies, trying to find anyway to help him. Kaito couldn’t find it in him to blame Shinichi, not with those beautiful eyes crying on his behalf.

            He didn’t have a choice, something rare for most members of the Black Organization, the main rivals to the organization chasing Kaito. Shinichi didn’t have a choice because his father was the boss, Anokata. Shinichi told him how much he wanted to leave, but he couldn’t, not if he wanted to be hunted down like a dog and everyone he’d ever interacted with killed.

 While laying Kaito flat on the ground so blood wouldn’t rush too fast into his heart, Shinichi explained how he was really a detective, not a murderer, and that whenever Anokata ordered him, he is to destroy evidence and derail any investigations into the BO.

            Kaito ran a hand through Shinichi’s hair as the boy tried to stop his stomach’s bleeding. This time, Shinichi had raced in practically right after Irish, arms piled with sterile bandages. Irish had decided to draw designs on his stomach. Another jolt of pain ran through him as Shinichi tied off the bandage. “Thank you,” Kaito whispered, head resting on the cold wall. As much as he usually hated the temperature of his cell, now the cool felt surprisingly nice on his heated forehead.

            “Open up.” Kaito opened his mouth and familiar pain pills slipped in, followed by water. He made sure to drink the entire bottle; Shinichi would fuss at him if he didn’t, saying that he’d end up hurting his stomach lining if he didn’t. Kaito enjoyed it when Shinichi fussed over him. It reminded him that at least someone cared about him in this retched place.

            Gentle hands pulled Kaito’s head away from the wall and into the crook of Shinichi’s neck. Shinichi rubbed soothing circles on his chest, their breathing synchronizing. Kaito sighed. “I wish you could meet my family,” he said. Shinichi’s hands stopped. “You… I think they would have liked you.”

            “What brought this up?” Shinichi ran his hand through Kaito’s hair again and he leaned into the touch.

            “Irish. He… he threatened them again.” Threatened to kidnap them, to torture them in front of him—“Far worse than what I’ve been doing to you, KID. You, I have orders to keep alive”—

            Looking up at his friend, Kaito saw that Shinichi’s expression had gone dark. His jaw was clenched and he glared at the wall. Kaito poked him. “Hey. Don’t look so angry, okay? There’s nothing you can do about it anyway.”

            “I—still, Irish has no right to threaten them!” Arms wrapped around his chest, carefully avoiding his wounds, and squeezed. Kaito pressed back into the hug. “I don’t… you shouldn’t even be here. I wish I could free you…”

            “What’s your family like?” Kaito asked suddenly. Shinichi blinked in surprise. “I’ve told you about mine, what about yours?”

            Shinichi licked his lips. “My… mother was very beautiful,” he stared off into the distance. “She was an actress, for a while, along with Vermouth, another one of our members. That’s how she met Anokata, actually. You remind me of her—she was very free-spirited. Nothing could tie her down.”

            Kaito could only lean on him. “Sorry. Shouldn’t have asked.”

            “No. I need to remember. It keeps me grounded—”

            The cell door’s lock clicked open and Shinichi jolted, irritating Kaito’s cuts. It swung open and Irish stepped inside again, only to freeze when he saw Kaito lying on top of Shinichi. Not a sound could be heard between the three before Irish sneered and surged forward.

            Kaito screamed as he was thrown off Shinichi and into the wall. “Kai—” Irish kicked Shinichi in the stomach and he could only watch the other spasm in pain as Irish grabbed him by the hair.

            “Just wait ‘til the boss learns what you’ve been doing, little boy,” Irish leered. Kaito tried to stand, but collapsed. His legs were too weak. “Won’t he be surprised at how traitorous his son!” Irish laughed at the idea and Kaito had never wanted to kill anyone more than him.

            Dragging Shinichi by the hair, Irish ignored both their screams and left the cell. Kaito lunged for the door, but swung shut in his face. He slammed into it. He gasped for air and stumbled on his feet, the world seeming to spin around him. Cold shivers shot through his body and both his hands and legs were trembling.

            Stumbling back, Kaito rammed his shoulder into the door. It was useless, but it was all he could do. Tears swam in his eyes. “Shinichi…” It became harder and harder to swallow the pain, to ignore the sensations and the voices telling him to stop, to rest, to sleep. On any other day he probably would've listened and rested to make sure he’d heal well and fast, but not today. Today was a day of pushing the limits. He rammed the door again and again, never stopping, only screaming out Shinichi’s name each time the pain got too much.

Half his body felt numb while the other half screamed in agony. The sharp, burning sensation was all he could focus on. “ _Shinichi…_ ” his voice was nothing more than a dull rasp now as he slumped against the metal. His head felt eerily light, everything seemed to spin around him in a blur of motion. His legs collapsed and all Kaito could do was cry, heaving sobs that shook his body and reopened his cuts. He tried to pull himself up, to try and break the door open again, but barely a finger twitched.

            He was so tired. Blood soaked through his bandages while Kaito watched without comprehension. He just… needed to sleep. Just a little…

            Kaito toppled over into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note the addition of "Graphic depictions of violence"

            Kaito isn’t sure how long they leave him in there, but it was definitely longer than usual.

            He’s patched up his stomach the best he can; fortunately, Irish hadn’t taken the plastic bag when he’d kidnapped Shinichi, so he had extra bandages and even a few granola bars and water. He stayed next to the door, ready to spring up and attack the moment Irish opened the door.

            God, he’d never hated anyone more in his life! Snake had only inspired this amount of hatred once, when he learned about Pandora, and even then it hadn’t lasted this long. Kaito had felt many different kinds of hatred before, but never this cold, heart-stopping rage. His hands curled into fists. He wanted to break every bone in Irish’s body and leave him face down in a river.

Shinichi shouldn’t have been treated like that! Irish didn’t deserve to feel the undersides of his shoes. Shinichi was good, the only good thing he had in this hellhole, and he’d do anything to avenge that.

            The door unlocked and Kaito, taken off guard, couldn’t dodge the hand that snatched him by the hair and hauled him out. He fell onto his hands and knees and before he could even move, the muzzle of a gun pressed in between his shoulder blades. Kaito twisted his head around just far enough to see cold, killer eyes and long blond hair. “If you try to escape, I will shoot you,” the Organization member said. “Get up and move.”

            Obeying, Kaito stood and the blond led him down the hallway, hand on his shoulder and gun to his back. His eyes flickered around, memorizing the way. He had to, was going to, escape and find Shinichi, but he had to lose the blondie first. It wouldn’t take long—

            The man shoved him into another room and as Kaito shot back to his feet, the door slammed shut. The room he was in was longer than it was wide, walls and floors white except for one of the long walls next to the door. That wall was completely mirrored with another door set in the center, bolted shut. The air tasted like chemicals and antiseptic. But that wasn’t what held Kaito’s attention. No, that belonged to the metal chair bolted to the floor with Irish chained half-naked to it.

            Stalking closer, Kaito couldn’t stop staring. Irish’s eyes were hazy, pupils dilated too far to be anything but drugs, and a bloody rag had been shoved in his mouth. Kaito’s lips twitched up; he couldn’t help it. He… he wanted to hurt him. More than anything, more than he’d ever wanted to hurt anyone before, both for Shinichi and for himself.

            If anyone deserved it, it was Irish.

            He stopped in front of him. Unseen from the door, a tray of tools sat innocently on a table. Kaito recognized some of them—ones Irish had used on him—but others were unfamiliar, like a pair of pliers. He didn’t want to think about why those were there. “What is this?” he rasped, his throat still sore from his screaming.

            “Your revenge.”

            His head turned so fast his neck cracked. Over the door he entered through was a camera and below it, a speaker. So they could see him then. “What are you talking about?”

            “Irish has outlived his usefulness,” the voice said. It was deep and honeyed, definitely male though Kaito knew how easy it was to change one’s voice. “While he was correct to bring the situation to light, he had no right to lay a hand on Absinthe, so I took his tongue. I’m allowing you to finish the rest.”

            He stepped back, narrowing his eyes. “You… you’re Anokata.”

            “Correct, Kaito Kuroba.” The lights flashed and the mirrors brightened, revealing them to be two-way mirrors. Kaito’s blood chilled. On the opposite side, Shinichi was handcuffed to a chair with a similar tray right beside him. Neither could take their eyes off the other, ignoring the strawberry-blonde woman in the room with Shinichi. Bruises covered Shinichi’s cheeks and Kaito could see the outline of a bandage under his black shirt. “I wish to offer you a deal.”

            “What deal?” Kaito couldn’t stop the hostility from leaking into his voice.

            “You want revenge for what he did? If you don’t, that’s fine. But for every tool you refuse don’t use, its counterpart will taste Absinthe’s blood. Sherry will make sure of it.”

            “That’s not much of a deal, is it?” Kaito growled.

            “No. No it is not. I suggest you get started, Kaitou KID. Start with the fillet knife… and do try to have fun. This is for both of you, after all.”

            Shinichi looked terrified. He hid it well, but unlike Kaito, he didn’t have a master poker face. His jaw was too tight, his knuckles too white, tears budding in his scared, yet determined eyes. Kaito knew what he had to do.

            Shinichi would do the same for him if the situations were reversed. Shinichi had done everything he could up to here to protect him. It was time for Kaito to return the favor.

            He started with a series of lines across Irish’s chest. No intricate designs, no words, just a bunch of shaky, inexperienced lines that ended up looking like a grid. Irish trembled and moaned, but didn’t scream—he must be under some powerful drugs. Or shallow cuts just weren’t that painful. But they would be, Kaito thought as he balled up his fist. They would be.

            The beating Kaito brought down upon him caused Irish to jerk and shout. He struggled against the chains, but drugged and in pain, he couldn’t do anything but take it. Kaito had never seen anything more pathetic in his life.

            It made him sick to his stomach.

            Kaito used each of the 5 knifes on Irish, creating small cuts then beating the blood out of him. He was careful not to cut to deep or around arteries. Who knew what would happen if Irish died so quickly? No, that’s wrong—he knew what would happen. His hands shook as he set down the knife and grabbed a container of salt. He couldn’t look at Shinichi and hoped Shinichi felt the same; he didn’t want Shinichi to see him like this. He poured the salt over the cuts.

            Soon, Irish’s screams of agony trailed off into sobs. It was easier to ignore him as Kaito moved onto the Taser. Irish jolted and shook from the electricity flowing through damaged muscles and nerves, but it was quiet. Too quiet. An inexplicable wave of anger washed over him. Irish didn’t deserve to be _**quiet**_.

             Kaito grabbed the hammer off the tray and brought it down on Irish’s wrist. A sickening crack filled the cloying air followed by howl. He raised the hammer to strike again— “Stop,” Anokata ordered. Kaito obeyed. “Use the pliers first.”

            He hesitated, hand hovering over the tool. He licked his lip. “H-How…?”

            “Do you need an example?”

            Before he could respond, a sob of pain crackled over the speaker. Kaito’s head spun around so fast his neck cracked. Sherry was bent over Shinichi, her own pliers gripping one of his fingernails as she slowly pulled it out. “ _ **Stop it!**_ ” Kaito screamed, slamming his fists against the glass. “Stop it, I’ll do it! Damn it, **_stop!!_** ”

            She didn’t stop. Kaito watched in morbid fascination as one bloody nail slid off Shinichi’s pinky and dropped to the floor. Shinichi trembled in his chair, his mouth bleeding from where his teeth had gone through skin. “Do you need another example?” Anokata asked.

            “ _No_!” Before Sherry could start again, Kaito grabbed his pliers and started pulling. It was messy; Irish attempted to scratch him so Kaito couldn’t get a good grip, causing him to stop and readjust. Soon, a little pile of fingernails formed on the tray. Was this good? Or did Anokata want him to remove Irish’s toenails too or worse—Kaito gagged—his teeth? Kaito cautiously put the pliers back and, when no reprimand or scream came, grabbed the hammer again. There were several bones left that such a small hammer could break. And… it kept him from thinking about the last tool.

            But soon enough, Kaito was out of bones and only had one thing left to use: a pistol. He didn’t know much about guns—he never intended to use one—but he knew enough to check the chamber. One bullet. “What do you want me to do?” Kaito asked. He already knew the answer.

            “Kill him.”

            Kaito obeyed.

            Flesh exploded from Ir—the corpse’s head, splattering the white wall behind it. Kaito turned away, shaking, his breath coming in pants. It wasn’t killing him that made Kaito sick. He’d never thought someone earned death before, but fuck did that bastard earn it! But it wasn’t the fact that he’d pulled the trigger that scared him; it was that he didn’t feel bad about it. Kaito had truly wanted him to die, so he killed him. Was it this simple? Was taking a life really this simple? _Everything can be stolen except for a life._ That wasn’t true, Tou-san. Not anymore.

            _Click_.

            The glass door had unlocked. Kaito rushed through, knocking his tray down in his hurry. He shot over to Shinichi, who embraced him, arms freed when Sherry left. Kaito expected to be pushed away, yelled at, cursed and hated. Instead, bloodstained lips pressed into his hair. Strong arms curled around him, trapping Kaito to his chest in warmth he never wanted to leave. Shinichi’s pulse was strong against Kaito’s forehead and his collarbone caught the tears that unknowingly flowed from Kaito’s eyes. Shinichi was safe now, he’d be _okay!_ —

            He was babbling, countless “ _I’m sorry_ ”s pouring out of him. He couldn’t stop, not shaking, or babbling, or _crying_ —

            But Shinichi whispered reassurances into his ear, “ _Thank you_ ” and “ _It’s okay now_ ” being the most common of the lot.


	4. Chapter 4

            Kaito couldn’t stop holding Shinichi. He was dozing against Kaito’s shoulder while he stayed resolutely awake, sitting between Shinichi and the door. The glass separating the two rooms had gone dark a while ago, which Kaito was thankful for—he didn’t want to think about the corpse anymore. But despite the exhaustion resting deep in his bones, he stayed awake and held Shinichi tight.

            They’d take him away if he didn’t.

            Blood had thoroughly soaked through his grimy suit; it could barely be considered white anymore. It stuck to his skin and smelled awful, but Shinichi didn’t seem to mind it, curled up as he was with one ear on his chest. Listening to his heart beat. Kaito was touched.

            “My mother died when I was seven.” Kaito hadn’t been expecting Shinichi to speak. He tightened his arms around him. “It… wasn’t even related to the Organization. It was a car crash. But after that… my father changed. He grew distant, more interested in the Organization than me. Vermouth practically raised me instead, though I know she didn’t want to, doing it out of love for my mother over anything else.

“When I turned 14, he started sending me on missions to destroy evidence. The police never suspected me—to them, I was just the eccentric teen detective that could solve any murder. I got my codename after I successfully purged all of Japan of any evidence of the Org. Dad… Anokata hasn’t called me by anything else since.”

            He tucked Shinichi carefully under his chin, minding their wounds. “I’m sorry.”

            “Don’t be. You couldn’t have done anything.”

            They sat like that for a while longer, perhaps hours, until the door opened. The blond from before stood there, sneering at their position before tossing a pile of black into the room. It landed with a light thud. “Put those on. You have five minutes.” The door slammed shut, leaving them alone again.

            Shinichi got off him to pick the clothes up and Kaito couldn’t stop a sigh of disappointment. His poker face had practically shattered from the stress of the last few weeks. Staggering up, Kaito grabbed the clothes Shinichi offered him.

            Black shirt. Black pants. Black underwear. No shoes, no belt, nothing that could be used as a weapon. The pants didn’t even have pockets. Still, Kaito put them on. He felt… almost thankful for them. They may be black, but they were clean. They didn’t smell, or stick to his body, or crunched from the dried blood when he bended. Instead, they were light, cotton, loose enough for him to use his acrobatics in. So Kaito didn’t complain. He wasn’t in the position to complain anyway.

            He hadn’t watched Shinichi change, but when he looked back, he saw that Shinichi had only changed his shirt and had wrapped the old one around his hand as a makeshift bandage. He was about to say something—that shirt was covered in blood and other questionable things, it can’t be good for the wound—but before he could open his mouth, blondie was back.

            This time he had a gun and was pointing it at Shinichi. Kaito’s lips curled. “Absinthe leaves first, then KID. If either of you attack me, I won’t hesitate to shoot.”

            They complied. Kaito wanted to jump the man and beat his head into the ground, but forced them to walk in front of him with the gun’s muzzle touching the base of Shinichi’s neck. Shinichi didn’t let this disturb him though, as he looked indifferent about the entire matter. “What is this about, Gin?” Shinichi asked.

            “That man wants to speak with the two of you,” came the gruff reply. “He didn’t mention why, but I have no doubt it has to do with your thief.”

            A hum. “Thank you.”

            “Just watch your mouth this time, kid.”

            Curious. Kaito evaluated the man from the corner of his eye. Was Gin an ally? Already, a plan was starting to form in his mind of escaping from this prison, with Shinichi running step in step beside him. Could Gin be the key to this? He shouldn’t get his hopes up. So far, Gin’s only shown a slight affection towards Shinichi, that didn’t mean he was completely on their side. But if he was…

            The halls they walked through were metal and practical, like a warehouse, but they stopped in front of carved wooden French doors. Shinichi took the liberty to open them and all three stepped inside.

            Inside was an office, but it looked more like a library with its floor to roof bookshelves filled to the brim. At the center of it was a desk and there sat a man with a passing resemblance to Shinichi and, alarmingly, Kaito’s own father. He wore glasses, thick rims that couldn’t hide blue eyes that couldn’t hold a candle to the brilliance of Shinichi’s eyes. Both his mustache and hair was Shinichi’s dark brown and his skin was pale, like he hasn’t seen the sun in a long time.

            Anokata—he couldn’t be anyone else—didn’t look at them. His focus was on the water faucet dripping in front of him. The water landed on a sugar cube, balanced over a goblet by a silver spoon. As they approached, Kaito saw that there were holes in the spoon, allowing the water to run through cleanly. These were the only things on the desk.

            “Leave us, Gin.” There was that silvery voice again, like poisoned honey. Gin left, no longer needed to threaten them. Anokata could probably handle a half-starved teen and his son, especially since he was probably armed. “Shinichi, come here.”

            His eyes widened, but Shinichi had no other reaction than walking up to the edge of the desk. Kaito stiffened and Anokata continued. “Absinthe is an odd drink. That is why I named you after it. In order to drink it, it must be diluted with water; otherwise it would probably kill you because of its strength. It complies to a ritual that all serious drinkers obey. And… there’s always the possibility it could drive you mad.

            The sugar had completely dissolved. Anokata gave it a quick stir before taking a sip. “A good absinthe should not taste like star anise or licorice. And yet both are in you, Absinthe. I gave you express orders to only observe Irish’s progress, not to interfere, and you certainly weren’t supposed to start fraternizing with him. You disobeyed me, and so, you were punished.” He stared up at Shinichi, eyes cold and calculating. “Do you _regret_ your decision, Absinthe?”

            Shinichi exhaled. “No.”

**_Slap!_ **

            Shinichi reeled back, holding his cheek, only for Anokata to grab him and wrench him over the side of the desk. Kaito surged forward, but one look at the fear on Shinichi’s face froze him. Rage boiled inside him. How dare he… no one should ever lay a hand on Shinichi! He wanted—his eyes widened. He wanted to cut that hand off.

            Anokata’s grip on Shinichi tightened, forcing him to cry out. “ ** _You will not disobey me._** Am I understood, _Absinthe?”_

            “ _Y-Yes_ …” came the wobbly reply. Anokata released him. He stood with a cough, rubbing his throat. His eyes never left the floor. He was trembling.

            So was Kaito, fists curled and ready to strike.

            “Kaitou KID.” Now Anokata was looking at Kaito and he had to say, he preferred it that way. If his focus was on him, he couldn’t hurt Shinichi. Kaito shivered under his gaze. “I didn’t expect you to survive long after I gave you to Irish. We discovered how… little you know of our enemies early on. You were _supposed_ to die. Now, it seems, we know why.” Anokata sneered at Shinichi. “Still, what to do with you… I suppose an execution can be arranged—”

            “Don’t.”

            Anokata glared at Shinichi, who didn’t meet his eye. “Excuse me?”

            “Please… don’t.” Shinichi glanced back at Kaito and bit his lip. “Father.”

            Anokata leaned back in his chair and exhaled through his nose. “You’ve developed _feelings_ for him.” Shinichi flinched. “Damn it all…” He drank again. “Then, Kaitou KID, let’s make another deal.”

            Kaito’s upper lip curled. Anokata didn’t offer deals, only the illusion of choice. And after what he threatened last time… “What deal?”

            He smirked. “Work for me, or you both will die.”

            There was no hesitance this time, only hatred for Anokata. “I’ll work.” He had to protect Shinichi. He was all he had left.

            Anokata’s smirk widened. Kaito wanted to stab him. “Excellent choice.”


	5. Chapter 5

            Idly picking at the blood under his fingernails, Kaito waited for the next corpse to come in.

            Well, it wasn’t a corpse when he was given it. It still moved and everything, still… alive. But it was easier thinking of them as dead already. They came once a day, at least Kaito thought it was only once a day; there was no way to tell time in this room. Five corpses made five days, he supposed. The lights were never turned off or dimmed, always brightly illuminating the concrete walls and floor. The room was a step up from the other rooms he’d been given, neither freezing cold nor blinding white. He was actually fed here, convenience store bentos and a water bottle once he was done, and under it all, a fresh pile of clothes to replace his soiled ones. Thankfully, there was a drain in this floor too, like the first one but it drained faster. Kaito wondered how many rooms in this specific building needed drainage systems. Based on the amount of torture that went on here, probably most of them.

            Gin took away his tools once the corpse was finished, like they were afraid he’d commit suicide. He had realized they were _his_ tools after the second—they were the same blades, with the same scratch on one of the handles. The scratch was on a little carving knife, always the last to kiss the skin of whatever body he made that day. With it, he carved KID’s insignia into the shoulder of every one of his victims, as per the instructions’ orders.

            The instructions arrived on the same tray that held his tools, always showing up right before the body did. It would tell him what questions to ask, which places to cut, what things to threaten, all of which Kaito obeyed robotically, mindful of the ever-watching camera placed right above the door. Sometimes the Organization wanted information; sometimes they wanted revenge on the person. But the instructions always ended the same—Carve KID’s symbol into their skin, so the police would believe KID was the murderer. He was. So he did. It didn’t matter how much the victim plead in their drugged state, or how revolted Kaito was with himself, because he’d keep picking up the knife. He had to. For Shinichi.

            Shinichi. Just the mere thought of his name made Kaito sigh and wilt against the wall. Kaito wanted to see him again so much—his strong arms, his wistful smile, his sapphire blue eyes… he’d do anything to see Shinichi again. Shinichi was safe where he was though; he better be, or Anokata would be the next corpse under his blade. His blood boiled at the idea of anything else. But Kaito didn’t know for sure and that uncertainty is what kept him still, kept him in this room and putting man after man to death. He could’ve escaped if he wanted too; compared to the first room, getting out would be a cakewalk. He was uninjured, if malnourished and dehydrated, and could possibly overtake Gin when he opened the door. For all he knew, the door was unlocked—he never tried it. Because if he tried to escape…

            Kaito had seen a lot of dead bodies lately. He didn’t want the next one to be Shinichi’s.

            He missed him though, more than sunlight or freedom or… Aoko. He frowned. He’d forgotten her name for a second. And… what did she look like? She had brown hair, right? Her face… it was fuzzy… Kaito ran his fingers through his hair. How could he forget Aoko? Why… why did everything feel so far away?

            Had he really been here so long? Without anyone rescuing him? Had… had they even tried?

            Curling up into a ball, Kaito covered his face with his arms. He wanted Shinichi. Shinichi would help him, help him remember and escape with him. He felt safe with Shinichi. He started rocking back and forth, slowly loosing himself in his isolation. Future corpses didn’t make for good conversationalists after all, and Gin barely acknowledged his existence. Isolation was horrible on the mind. A shuddering breath, lungs filling with antiseptic air, and an exhale all passed through his lips, time and again as he tried not to panic. He’d see Shinichi soon, he assured himself, rubbing his arms over black sleeves to simulate human contact. He just had to wait a bit longer and he’d see Shinichi again, a little bit longer…

            Like his thoughts had been heard, the door swung open, rusty hinges squeaking. In the doorway, backlit by the hall lights like a demigod, stood Shinichi smiling, face battered and lip cut but smiling none the less. Kaito surged to his feet and threw himself at Shinichi, hugging him to his body, safe, the two of them sinking to their knees on contact. A smile, his first in days, graced his lips. He methodically checked him for any unseen wounds, fingers gently pressing against skin in search of bruises as Shinichi ran his fingers through Kaito’s greasy hair. Eyes narrowed as he found more serious injuries, Shinichi wincing when he touched his ribs. “It’s okay,” Shinichi whispered and Kaito belatedly realized that he was crying. A thumb brushed away his tears. “It’s okay, I’m here now. You’re okay, we’re okay. You’ll be alright; no one can hurt you anymore.”

            He wasn’t concerned with that. “Who did this to you?” He couldn’t hide the rage in his voice. Cold fingertips traced the under edge of a black eye.

            “Anokata.” Kaito clenched his jaw. “But it’s alright now. He’s… he’s dead.” What? Leaning back, Kaito cupped Shinichi face in his hands. The other bit his lip and looked away. “I-I killed him.”

            Unsurprisingly, Kaito was thrilled at the news. But he hid it. Shinichi looked so ashamed, like he was expected Kaito to renounce him and hate him. He could never hate Shinichi. “What happened?” He tilted Shinichi’s head back up, to look him in the eye. “You can tell me; I’m not going to leave you.”

            Shinichi swallowed. “He wanted me to… to kill a friend on the police force. And I couldn’t, I never wanted to kill anyone. But… then he threatened you, he said he’d flood your room with poison gas and I… I just snapped. I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but I…”

            “Shh…” He stopped his babbling by pulling Shinichi into his chest, where the other shivered and shook. “It’s like you said, we’re okay. This… it’s a good thing. We’re free now, don’t you understand?” Shinichi looked up at him with confused, red eyes. “We can escape, together, and be free of this.” He could imagine it now; they’d find some government trying to take down the Organization, maybe the Americans, and tell them everything they knew. In return, they’d get new identities, probably as brothers because that would be easiest with their similar looks, and live in peace until the Organization was taken down. Then he’d take Shinichi back to his old life and introduce him to everyone: his mom, Aoko… Aoko’s father… He frowned. He felt like he was missing a few people…

            Shaking his head, Shinichi pulled away. There were tears in his eyes. “I can’t.”

            Kaito’s heart shattered in his chest.

            Shinichi continued. “I want to go with you, Kaito, I really do, but you need to escape now. The rules of the Organization state clearly… the one who kills the boss becomes the boss. That’s why his identity is such a heavily guarded secret.” He grimaced. “If I abandon the Organization now, I’ll be hunted down and killed, far faster than if I had left as only a traitor and not Anokata. There isn’t a place on earth where they wouldn’t look for me; there’s no escape for me. But you can go. Very few people know you’re here, only Gin, Vermouth, and Sherry. I-I can make sure they don’t breath a word about you, that you can go back to your life—”

            They’d eat him alive, Kaito realized. Shinichi was kind, too kind for this place. He may have grown up in an evil organization, but somehow, he ended up kind. If he showed that, if he let Kaito go, the other members would see that as a sign of weakness. They weren’t kind like Shinichi.

            He couldn’t leave Shinichi to face that alone. If there was no escape for one, then there would be no escape for the other.

            “No.” He cut Shinichi off. “I think I’d rather stay.”

            Shinichi’s eyes had gone wide with shock and terror. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

            “I do,” He said. “I can take anything they throw at me, as long as I can protect you.” He’d been missing for months. Kaitou KID’s legacy was in tatters. He knew the Black Organization already goes up against Snake and his lot. There was nothing to lose by staying here, not even his remaining sanity or sense of innocence… hell, even his status as “not-a-murderer” was gone. And if he stayed… Reaching out, Kaito grabbed Shinichi’s hand and kissed the center of his palm, much to his shock. “Please accept my affections.” Please let me stay, he thought, you’re the only thing keeping me alive.

            Shinichi didn’t answer, too busy staring at him in shock, until a blonde woman appeared behind him in the doorway. Kaito glared at the amused look on her face. He’d never seen her before. “Boss?” she asked. “You mind introducing us?”

            “Vermouth.” Shinichi looked back at her, expression unreadable. So this was one of the people who knew about Shinichi’s new position… and about Kaito’s existence. Shinichi squeezed him and let go, rising to his feet. “This… is my right hand. You’re to treat him like he is me, understood?”

            “Perfectly.” Vermouth smiled too wide, her eyes glinting in the light. Kaito swayed as he stood, but he made a rather intimidating figure, dressed in black and covered in old blood. “And his name?”

            Shinichi glanced back at him and smiled sadly. Kaito nodded in return. “He’s called Rum.”


	6. Epilogue

            Shinichi brushed his fingers through Kaito’s nappy hair. The thief rested on the study’s couch, his head safely in Shinichi’s lap. On the coffee table laid the remains of the meal they had just eaten, simple, easy foods so as not to hurt Kaito’s stomach—being starved for two months made it hard for his stomach to digest anything. Of course, Shinichi’s food had been significantly less drugged than Kaito’s, but the other hadn’t noticed and he thought Kaito needed the sleep anyway. Sleep deprivation had played an important part in getting Kaito to this point and while Shinichi was grateful for the effects it brought, it was no longer necessary.  Now it’s time to bring Kaito’s body back to its former glory… no, he’d become _better_ than that. He smiled to himself.

            Like a phoenix, Kaito was reborn. All Shinichi had to do was make sure he didn’t fall back into ashes.

            Someone approached him from behind, but there was no need to turn. He knew who it was, though not why they were there, spoiling his moment of triumph. “Funny,” Yusaku Kudo said, “that the police finally stopped looking for him just days ago.” A newspaper folded closed. “I thought they’d been more urgent than ever after two months. Now they’ve concluded that he ran away from home.”

            “What’s surprising is that they searched for so long. The first 24 hours are the most important in missing person cases; after that, the chances of survival drop to ten percent. For the police to have actively looked for so long… he must have good friends.” Shinichi traced the edge of Kaito’s jaw, gazing at his sleeping face like he’d never see it again. He took Kaito away from them, those friends that cared so much. He smirked, peering over his shoulder to look at the third person in the room, only to scowl when he saw what they were wearing. “Will you take that off? And burn it while you’re at it. If he ever sees that face again, you could ruin all I’ve done here.”

            Vermouth obeyed and tore the mask off her face, blond hair falling perfectly from its hair net and dressed in a suit with extra padding in the shoulders and a binding top underneath. She pouted. “You’re no fun anymore. I had hoped to give you a little scare. The ghost of Christmas past, as it were.”

            “It’ll take a lot more than that to scare me, though your flirtations with Gin get close. What do you want?”

            “I thought I’d check on the puppet you made.” She shrugged her shoulders, sauntering up to sit on the couch opposite of him with a mysterious smile on her face. “It’s such a delicate thing, though, if you think the face of a dead man is enough to rip his stitching.”

            “Are you still annoyed that I chose Toichi’s son as mine?” Her silence said it all. “Ah, don’t fret Auntie, I don’t break my toys without reason, promise.” Looking down at Kaito, his body splayed out with his hands by his sides… he looked like a sacrifice to an angry god. “He might be breakable now, his mind still reeling from all the sudden shifts in perspective, but soon he’ll out class all of you. My number one.” Or at least, so he hoped. Psychological manipulation was more guess work than science. There was no idea how sane Kaito would be upon waking, if he’d be Shinichi’s perfect counterpart or never want to look at a gun again. Shinichi wouldn’t get rid of him either way. If there was no escape for one, there would be no escape for the other. “I want someone completely loyal to me alone. The Black Organization members are loyal to Anokata, a man without a face they respect and fear. Only Gin is close enough to be loyal to me, and not Anokata, but that’s not enough. I need a shield, both as Anokata and Absinthe.”

            “Do you not consider me loyal, _boss_?” Her voice was mocking.

            “Your loyalty is like a gun to the head—completely unwanted and overall annoying.”

            She steepled her fingers. “And if I tell him the truth?” She asked, back on the subject at hand. “If I reveal all your lies, do you think he’d stay at your side?”

            “What lies?” He cocked his head to the side. “Everything I’ve told him is the truth, if a few years old. Besides, he’d never turn against me now. I have him, heart and body—it’s only the mind I’m worried about.”

            “You can’t guarantee that.”

            “I can. You see, while torture through pain can be effective, I know something far more devastating to a person’s psyche. Kindness.” He sighed, staring down at Kaito. His face looked so gaunt and haunted, even in sleep. He’d have to put him on a strict diet when he wakes to get his body weight back up. “I gave him relief in hell, healed him and protected him. I hugged and kissed him, made him look forward to seeing me and touching me. I made him see me as the only good thing he had left, after the _evil Irish_ in the _evil organization_ took everything else away. And then he was put into a situation where he had to protect me, the poor innocent prince who just wanted to be happy with him. Add his fading memories to that and is it any wonder why he succumbed? Why he chose me over freedom?”

            That kind of loyalty… it’s addicting. Kaito was solely and forever his.

            There was still work to be done though. The murders had been decent tests, proving that Kaito had the nerve and stomach to kill if Shinichi’s life was on the line, but Rum, Anokata’s new favorite, would have to do so much more than that. Hacking, weapons proficiency, sniping, coordinating a team… he’ll have to do all of those things and more, Shinichi decided. At least larceny and crime planning could be struck from the list.

            Vermouth frowned at them, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You’ve gotten attached to him,” she accused.

            “Of course.” He smirked at her. “He’s… infatuated with me. He’ll be looking for positive interactions with me: approval, affection, love. And why shouldn’t I feel those things for him? He’s mine; it’s only right that I be his as well.” Checking his watch, Shinichi pretended to be surprised at the time. “Oh. You should probably go now; Sherry’s coming in just a few minutes to discuss her new drug. Why don’t you be useful and figure out who’s been leaking our information to the FBI?”

            Vermouth sneered but reluctantly obeyed. Fortunately, she wasn’t stubborn enough to outright ignore his orders—he was still the boss after all—but he’d have to have Gin look into her activities soon. She was starting to get discontent and the last time that happened, she helped him put a bullet in the previous Anokata’s skull.

            But now wasn’t the time to worry about that. He had Sherry to focus on. It was thanks to her that his remaking of Kaito was successful. She created an airborne drug that targets long term memory, specifically the events and experiences of the victim’s life. It had taken her a long time to get it right, and still it was not perfect, but even the slight fading of Kaito’s memories had a greater effect than anticipated.

            He’d have to quiet her though. She knew too much about Kaito and even knowledge of his existence before he was ready could end with Shinichi’s new right hand dead. But Shinichi had planned ahead. A different scientist in the Organization, one without a codename, had modified her drug into something far stronger, yet less extensive. It would target the last week of her memories and wipe Kaito from her mind. He had to keep him safe, after all.

            But she did deserve a reward. He stroked his chin. Maybe… he should have her work on that poison. Apotoxin 4869.

            Yes, that would be a suitable reward. And then, he could finally rest.

            Kaito was his now and no one would ever get in their way again.


End file.
